Wednesday, August 23, 2017
99th year • Issue 1
THE INDEPENDENT
Camp Adventure brings smiles to children / 5 »
COLLEGIAN
www.IndependentCollegian.com
Serving the University of Toledo community since 1919
INSIDE
PROTEST
Rocket volleyball splits wins in first exhibition match
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SPORTS / 6 »
“Our new year is just about to begin, and it’s time to make some wishes and resolutions before the clock strikes midnight. We’ve all made some personal ones, but here is our list of hopes for UT in 2017-18.”
BRYCE BUYAKIE / IC
(Left) Toledoans gathered at the University of Toledo to protest racism and white supremacy after Charlottesville Riots. (Right) Callie Staton, a fourth-year law and social thought student, holds up her sign while marching with the protestors.
Toledo ‘stands up’
Citizens march in solidarity after Charlottesville Riots By Bryce Buyakie News Editor
In the wake of the Charlottesville riots, 250 protestors from all corners of the Toledo community marched in solidarity with Virginia Aug. 20 from the steps of the Student Union at the University of Toledo to the corner of Dorr St. and Secor. Leading the march and yelling chants such as “Dump Trump!”
and “Don’t just stand there, do something!” into a megaphone were three of the event’s organizers: Mike Miller, Kristyn CurnowMiller and Ruth Leonard, a member of Toledo’s Black Lives Matter organization. “This march was for everyone, not just students,” said Mike Miller, a second-year UT student and organizer of the event. “We all know that James Alex Jr. is not
representative of the Toledo community. I didn’t want a black eye on the community, so I wanted to give the community a chance to show the country he doesn’t represent Toledo.” The march and rally were held in direct response to Charlottesville, Neo-Nazis, racism, white supremacy and the KKK, but it was also meant to give people of color the space to express themselves,
PARKING
UT campuses rank among the safest in Ohio By Bryce Buyakie News Editor
OPINION / 4 »
RACHEL NEARHOOF / IC
Parking lots such as Lot 10, pictured above, on the University of Toledo’s campus serve a variety of students, faculty, administrators and visitors to UT.
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SPORTS / 6 »
“And, yet, I fail at feminism all the time because I somehow can’t figure out how to be consistently kind to the woman I know best: myself.”
MORGAN KOVACS The self-love stigma
OPINION / 4 »
See Rally / 3 »
SAFETY
EDITORIAL Time for the ball drop
Rockets celebrate Victory Day
Miller said. Julian Mack, a member of Black Lives Matter and an organizer of the event, said he was reading the Declaration of Independence off his phone during the march. “It’s ironic,” said Mack. “[The writers of the document] were under tyranny. They wanted life, liberty and the pursuit of hap-
Changes for staff and student parking begin for 2017-18 By Bryce Buyakie News Editor
A new parking system went live at the University of Toledo on Aug. 5, changing the design of Parking Services’ webpage, modifying permits and the respective rates for faculty and students. This will also allow for the newly created UT Parking app to launch in the near future. “These modifications will move the university toward a more equitable parking system for students, faculty and staff,” wrote Sherri Kaspar, public safety support manager for parking services, in an email interview. The new system was implemented after information was gathered from faculty, staff and students in a transportation survey conducted in December 2016, wrote Kaspar. According to the Frequently Asked Questions page on the Parking Services website, student permits and rates covered by collective bargaining agreements remain the same, but rates have increased for faculty and staff.
“A” permits for faculty and staff increased by $47 to $150 annually. “E/G” permits for executives and physicians increased from $150 to $225, while “E-reserved” permits for executives went from $300 to $400 annually. However, the freshman residential permits for Scott Park and Lot 21 were lowered from $125 to $100 per semester, wrote Kaspar. The FAQ page states students and faculty will also be required to print the parking permit confirmation and display it on the dashboard whenever parking on UT
“These modifications will move the university toward a more equitable parking system for students, faculty and staff.” SHERRI KASPAR Parking Services Public Safety Support Manager
property. “We are also pleased to announce that the UT Parking App will go live on Monday, Aug. 28, in time for the start of the new academic year,” wrote Kaspar. “This new app will provide students, faculty and staff with more convenience.” From the app and website, students and faculty will be able to store information about different vehicles and easily choose which vehicle the permit applies to for that period of time, wrote Kaspar. Fourth-year mechanical engineering student Nai-Ning Kuo said the parking system is an improvement because the new webpage is easier to navigate. “Many people switch registered vehicles while they are on or close to campus. They are not likely to have access to a printer. This may result in several registered vehicles without the printed permit,” said Kuo. “The confirmation permit is decently large to display on the dashboard, but a hang tag may be a better approach.”
The Sexual Assault Awareness, Prevention and Adjudication Ad Hoc Task Force released an executive summary showing the University of Toledo’s campuses to be amongst the safest campuses in the state of Ohio with low reports of rape, fondling, statutory rape, domestic violence and stalking. The summary also ranked UT above average compared to other state universities for student confidence in campus officials to follow formal procedures to address complaints of sexual misconduct, and student confidence in officials to take the necessary steps to protect the person from retaliation. “These finds confirm UT is doing an excellent job in the prevention of sexual misconduct,” wrote Amy Thompson, co-chair of the SAAPA Ad Hoc Task Force, in an email interview. “Our findings also have helped develop a framework for continuous improvement.” The SAAPA Ad Hoc Task Force was created this past spring by UT President Sharon Gaber to analyze campus programs, policies, education and prevention of sexual misconduct at UT and compare those results with other institutions, wrote Thompson. “Our task force was a representative group from experts in the area of sexual misconduct. Their input guided the development of the documents,” wrote Thompson. The executive summary outlined four themes that showcased both UT’s strengths and weaknesses – comprehensive university-
wide efforts, prevention and programming efforts, resource availability and investigation and adjudication.
“These finds confirm UT is doing an excellent job in the prevention of sexual misconduct. Our findings also have helped develop a framework for continuous improvement.”
Amy Thompson SAAPA Ad Hoc Task Force Co-Chair
A total of 27 recommendations were compiled for each theme in the executive summary to improve and build upon existing programs and policies at UT. “There were several recommendations that our task force have prioritized, such as forming a Title IX committee to implement the recommendations, diversifying our programs and to explore strengthening our alcohol and other drug programs,” wrote Thompson. The task force also found UT to be very heavy on primary programming during orientation but needs to focus on more evidencebased programing for all students throughout the year, wrote Valerie Walston, co-chair of the SAAPA Ad Hoc Task Force. Other recommendations listed in the executive summary ranged from the See Task Force / 3 »